When my three kids were young, Christmas Morning was about all the normal things: Santa Claus and his reindeer; presents under the tree; and ripping the wrapping paper and playing with all their new toys. As a parent we tried to teach them about giving and sharing. We worried about them getting the true meaning... Continue Reading →
The baby’s heart beat
(I first ran this story in 2017. My babies are grown now. But, I've never stopped worrying about them.) Last week when I was rifling through a box in our basement, I found an old calendar. I started to push it aside, but something caught my eye. My wife must have had an appointment with... Continue Reading →
Christmas Peace
Late last year, my wife and I sat in front of our Christmas tree. The lights in the house and the television were turned off. There was no music. We just sat and stared at the tree. It was still a few days before Christmas. My wife had to get up early the next day... Continue Reading →
No talking back!
(The original version of this story ran in September 2022. I've made several updates.) I walked away with tears streaming down my face. I couldn’t have been more than six or seven years old. I turned around to try my case before the judge and jury one more time, but my mom had enough of... Continue Reading →
Christmas Hope
When I was a kid and late November turned into December, my sleeping patterns took a turn for the worse. I would go to bed and toss and turn thinking about Christmas. The big day would still be weeks away, it didn't matter. I would dream of the joy of Christmas morning. I imagined playing... Continue Reading →
My grateful list for 2025
I started a habit a few years ago of listing out some of the things that I'm grateful for each Thanksgiving. Here's a few of the things on this year's list: --Family members and great friends near and far. --My wife still loves me. Let me repeat that: my wife still loves me. In this... Continue Reading →
Making it home
I'm happy this time of year. Oh, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, but it's more than that. I love families coming together. I love that college students start coming back to the nest today and later next week. My son, our youngest, will arrive home later this evening. I probably won't see him... Continue Reading →
Take a back seat Dad!
(I first published this story in January 2018. My kids are grown now, but the lesson I learned from this experience still rings true.) When my sons participated in the Cub Scouts, the pack would always have a Christmas party. The celebration was always a ton of fun, until the very end of the evening.... Continue Reading →
Faith of a child revisited
I ran this story in October 2016. My son was 12 years old and complaining about life's demands. It's interesting to look back on our conversation. He's a senior in college now. I doubt he'd want to go back in time. Funny though. I'd go back in a heartbeat -- just to see him at... Continue Reading →

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